Aysle

Aysle is a heady mixture of magic, miracles, and medieval sensibilities twisted by Uthorion’s vile touch.

The Law of Magic

Magic is an integral and inherent part of life in Aysle. It infuses the landscape, wildlife, people, and relics of the realm, creating Cosm cards like Fickle Magic and Mana Surge. The land itself is shaped by supernatural power, sometimes ignoring the normal laws of gravity, physics, and geology to create fantastic landscapes and exotic features.

Thanks to the enriched mystic power in Aysle, a caster may put his own energy into casting spells.

• Magic: Spell casters may incur to gain a bonus on any magic skill (alteration, apportation, conjuration, and divination) test, up to his number of adds in the skill.

The Law of Light & Darkness

The peoples of Aysle believe that virtue is a palpable force, akin to magic in scope and power. The codified virtues as they see them are known collectively as The Light. The Light is more important than love, family, or life to those who believe in it. Those who eschew The Light have more freedom at the cost of widespread disdain.

The Light isn’t always the same thing as goodness. Obedience to the gods and royalty are prime pillars of The Light, but what if the commands given are foul? Is losing a battle courageously more important than retreating and saving lives? These conundrums make questions of honor difficult and open the way for those tinged with Darkness but who remain essentially good.

Light and Darkness are vital and tangible forces in Aysle. Light Perks exemplify the wholesome and beautifying effects of virtue. (See page 91 for a description of Light Perks.)

Darkness Perks are the flip side of the law, allowing mischievous rogues or foreboding necromancers to fight for good outside the boundaries of courtesy. They tend to physically corrupt the character, and Aysle natives are understandably mistrustful of those who bear such marks.

Some rugged souls reject both Light and Darkness. These rare individuals are called Outsiders by the natives of Aysle, and are equally mistrusted by both sides.

The Law of Enchantment

The wild magic of Aysle is so pervasive it seeps into some objects unbidden. A sword used to defeat dozens of bandits may spontaneously become a magical bane against their kind. Generations of veneration can turn mundane tools into artifacts rivaling Eternity Shards.

When Uthorion’s forces emerged, their first targets were museums, since the artifacts they housed were likely to be imbued during the axiom wash. Dragons in particular are drawn towards such items.

The Delphi Council encourages Storm Knights to hunt magical artifacts in the depths, and bring them back for their agents to use in the fight against the High Lords.

The Law of Enchantment in conjunction with Possibility Energy creates powerful items that grow in might as their legends increase. These items function outside of Aysle, but are contradictory unless the Magic Axiom is 13 or higher—just enough to support magical objects, regardless of how they were enchanted.

Beware! The greater an item’s power the easier it becomes for powerful foes to detect and covet! Dragons, especially, are known to collect such artifacts.

• Enchantment: When a character rolls 60+ on a test in a stressful situation (such as combat), the magic of Aysle spontaneously enchants one of his items. The item must fit within Aysle’s Tech Axiom, but it doesn’t have to be the item used to generate the total. Thereafter, it adds +1 to its user’s relevant skill when employed. Enchanted items have a Magic Axiom of 13. Alternatively, the hero may roll on the Magic Treasure Table (page 239) to let the magic take a different form.